Kentucky Ancestors, Volume 39, Number 2 - Kentucky Historical ...

Abstracts from the Cumberland
Courier, Burksville, July 29, 1874
The Cumberland Courier was published on Wednesdays by “Walker & Matthews, Editors and Proprietors.”
Subscriptions were $2 for one year, $1.25 for six months paid in advance. Joel Cheek was the authorized agent for
advertisements and subscriptions. Jacob Bruton was also an agent. M.C. Gittings, of Judio, was also an agent, for
sales and collections.
The local postmaster was A.J. Phelps, who also
advertised his “Cash Store,” which also accepted
“Country Produce” in payment for his goods. Phelps
also advanced cash or goods on pension claims.
The pastor of the Presbyterian church was Rev.
J.P. McMillan. Services were held in the Chapel of
Alexander College.
The Burksville city administration was Police
Court Judge Joseph P. Frank Sr., Marshal Ben Riall,
and trustees Dr. W.G. Hunter, William F. Alexander,
J.S. Benton, N.B. Cheatham, and C.L.S. Matthews.
Cheatham was also running for county assessor,
somewhat immodestly stating that “there is not a
man in the county more thoroughly qualified to
attend to the duties of this office than myself.
The local state senator was D.R. Haggard and the
state representative was W.G. Hunter. 1
Officers of the Cumberland County Circuit
Court, which convened on the second Monday of
March and September, were Judge T.T. Alexander,
Commonwealth’s Attorney A.M. Adair, Clerk J.W.
Williams, and Sheriff H.M. Alexander.
Officers of the Cumberland County Court, which
convened the second Monday of each month, were
Judge John Q. Owsley; Clerk E.A. Waggener; Charles
Smith, county surveyor; R. Gibson, poor-house
superintendent; William Check, school commissioner;
W. E. Paull, jailer; and J.T. Baker assessor.
A quarterly court was held the Tuesday after the
second Monday in January, April, July, and October.
2003 Kentucky Ancestors V39-2 66
A Court of Claims was held on the second Monday
in October.
Magistrate’s Court had six divisions: First District,
A.G. Waggner and James Haggard; Second District,
From The Orphan Brigade
Martin Hardin Cofer (1832-1881) went from a largely
self-taught youth in Hardin County to chief justice of
the state’s highest court. In between, he was a
secession activist, newspaper editor and
commander of the Confederate 6 th Kentucky Infantry
during the Civil War. After the war, Cofer was noted
for being the first judge in Kentucky to recognize and
follow the 14 th Amendment, which allowed African
American testimony in the state’s courts.